Need some expert help

[bombus]

I think that my "surf's up" design is jinxed.
I have made a 64oz. batch (of oils) for my log mold, mixed up the oils,
split the whole thing in half (by weight)- also the lye. Mix it up, then divide
it in half for two different colors in the mold.

The bottom half is brought to a thick trace, then shaped to form waves.
I then return to the second half, bring it to light trace and pour it on top. That
results in the more liquid half filling in the uneven top of the first half, no air
bubbles at all.

I had really good results, but one batch seemed to be lye heavy- that is,
there were gray lines (cracks, really) in the blue layer, and pink areas in the white.
I have use "Cool Water" from both Brambleberry & WSP and have had batches that are fine,
and others that have pink problems.

I changed my recipe, and also divided it into two- that is, measured the halves
separately as two, 32oz batches. Here is my result-


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A PINK top again! (this recipe usually turns out white) It looks kind of swirly, like titanium dioxide
sometimes reacts with F.O. but there is no T.D. here.
Am I undertracing it? I would believe that, except that the blue layer has
traces of pink, too.

Here is my recipe:
OO 40%
CO 30%
Cocoa butter 10%
Castor Oil 6%
Shea butter 14%

I hate to throw yet another batch away. When it works, it is beautiful!
Help!

 

[carebear]

are you sure your olive oil is olive? soy can go pink when soaped.

 

[bombus]

Hi Carebear-
Yes, it is olive from Costco. I don't even own soy oil :cry:

 

[Bubbles Galore]

What water are you using? One time I used rainwater with pure coconut oil and my soap ended up pink where it should have been white.

 

[bombus]

I only use distilled water.

My old recipe used tallow. I always suspected that- but the recipe I used
this time is one of my regulars. Could it be the FO?

I will need to test the pH, but will wait several days.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I've never had an FO turn anything pink. Don't throw the batch away, just wait and see. I made some soap with coconut cream a couple of weeks ago and it went minty green and then went back to beige in a couple of days. It also became soap on a stick (blah) but I'm sure it will be fine in the end.

 

[Soaplady22]

You don't have a cloudy white sky soap -- you have a sunset soap!!

 

[Chris-2010]

I work with the 55 lb block molds, and would not necessarily view the white patterns as unusual. Depends on the type of colorant, temperature, heat. Not necessarily lye-heavy unless you can taste it to be.

The block molds will sustain a thermal convection inside the mold during the saponification: up through the center and down the sides; very symmetrical. If you used Australian pink clay or red clay, this will show with obvious white flow patterns which you will see after the block is cut down into logs, almost a beautiful mushroom pattern, as the clay density is drawn out through the flow. That's kind of what it looks like to me, but I haven't used a smaller mold. The heat gradient within a larger mold will cause such a flow.

Other colorants may show this pattern, or may not, or may show a different pattern result: Alkanet steeped in the oil will show no flow pattern; turmeric steeped in oil will show no pattern; dried powedered lemon will give a segmented-alligator skin like pattern; finely powdered parsley will show no pattern.

To pick up on these inherent patterns can be a good tool: say, pink clay and enough internal heat-convection then cutting the bars can be almost as good a marbling, and half the work.

I like your bi-layered creation, you must have been careful and deliberated when adding layer number 2. I'll do a 2 color pour, but then I just gently marble with about 9 strokes of a mini-paddle. Yours looks better than mine.

 

[bombus]

say Chris- you may be onto something there. I can go with the convection
pattern. I do gel in my oven at about 100 degrees. I don't like partial gels.
Interesting that things are moving in there- but it makes sense. When I
have this pattern happen with T.D. I just assumed that I had used too much
or didn't mix it well.

It does not zap my tongue.

Any idea of what would cause the pink?

 

[Muzhik]

Hi Carebear-
Yes, it is olive from Costco. I don't even own soy oil :cry:

Try a different brand of olive. There's been a bit of a scandal in the industry where some olive oils being sold as "Pure olive oil from Italy" have oils from Spain, Morocco, and other places. In the worst cases, the oil is a mixture of olive and other oils -- usually rapeseed (original form of canola).

IOW your "pure olive oil" could in fact be contaminated with other oils and chemicals to flavor the oil.

Switch brands.